1844 $2 1/2 MS61 NGC. An original coin with sharp stars, all the central lines in evidence, and a well-detailed portrait of Liberty. Slight softness of strike is noted on the eagle, bottom left leg, and central neck feathers. Subdued but still-glimmering luster combines with exceptionally clean surfaces to produce a piece of considerable desirability--for it is among the lowest mintage pieces of all the early Coronet style quarter eagles, with a mintage at Philadelphia of only 6,784 pieces. In fact, only a few branch-mint issues exceed it in meagerness of original issuance during the 1840s. Its eye appeal, for the grade, is remarkable as it appears completely original. The bars of the eagle's shield conceal some ancient debris, as one would expect (or hope) to find. Not noted very often (for who gets to examine many 1844 coins?) is the fact that the digit 44s are slightly larger than the 18 digits, and the second 4 leans ever so slightly to the left. Regarding its rarity, years ago Breen called it "prohibitively rare" in AU, while the recently published tome on U.S. gold by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth describes it as rare in any grade and "extremely rare in Mint State. Just one example in Uncirculated condition has been sold at auction in the last decade," they note. Obviously, this coin represents a major opportunity for the date collector to own a coin which, for most, is simply not obtainable.